Office supply chains cutting stores

Office Depot Inc. last year acquired OfficeMax Inc. and announced Tuesday that it plans to close at least 400 locations in the United States. It makes no sense that the company would have outlets that compete against themselves.

It could be like an episode of “Survivor” playing out on the streets of Kansas City over whether Office Depot or OfficeMax stores will close where they are in competing locations.

Office Depot Inc. last year acquired OfficeMax Inc. and announced Tuesday that it plans to close at least 400 locations in the United States. It makes no sense that the company would have outlets that compete against themselves.

The move is expected to save the company $75 million annually by the end of 2016, Bloomberg News reports. But the tussle over which stores survive could be seen in midtown Kansas City, where an Office Depot is at 4201 Main St. competing with an OfficeMax at 3732 Main St.

The office supply business hasn’t been all that rosy lately. Staples earlier this year announced that it is closing 225 stores resulting in a savings of $500 million.

Staples, the nation’s largest office supply company, said close to half of its sales are now generated online.